Tajikistan: A magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs in

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in central Tajikistan at around 05:25 March 31. The epicenter was about 43 km (27 miles) east of Rasht. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), light shaking was probably felt throughout central Tajikistan and parts of southwestern Kyrgyzstan and northeastern Afghanistan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are possible over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.